Car-coupling



(No Model.) Y

M. WELLS.

K GAR oUPLING.A l NO. 554,610. Patent Feb. 11, 18

MAHLON IVELLS, OF IIAUGIIVILLE, INDIANA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,610, dated February1 1, 1896. Application tiled July 8, 1895. Serial N- 555,1S9. (Nomodel.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, MAHLON VELLS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Haughville, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplings; andI do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to a device for connectin g railroad-cars togetherin a train; and it consists of a new and novel coupling to be attachedto an end of a car in the usual manner, and by which the car may beautomatically coupled to another car having a like coupler or anordinary link-and-pin draw-bar,

and will be more full described hereinafter.

My object is to provide a cheap and reliable automatic coupling that maybe used in connection with any other form of coupling as well as withthose like itself, and with this end in view I have constructed acoupling that is cheaply constructed, of few parts, economical anddurable in use.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l represents a longitudinal side view;Fig. 2, an end view; Fig. 3, a longitudinal View, half-plan of top andhalf-sectional through center; and Fig. 4 is a longitudinal verticalsectional View through center.

The draw-head D is a casting of common iron, steel, or malleable iron,having an open mouth d for the reception of the coupling-bar C. Suitableopenings are cored in the head, into which the coupling-hooks A A aresecured; also holes into which the bolts e and 71, are inserted. Asuitable hole is also cored into the bottom of head for the reception ofthe uncoupling-pin n, and a hole Z in bottom and a like hole 7o in upperlip B is provided to receive a coupling-pin when an ordinarycoupling-link is used in connection with link-and-pin coupling. Theupper lip or top I3 is a casting of iron or steel and is secured in itsplace to form the top wall of drawhead by the hinge-bolt h passingthrough a hole near its rear end, while its forward end rests uponshoulders in the mouth to keep it in a horizontal position, yetpermitting the forward end to be raised when desired. A leaf or platespring g is attached by a screw-bolt 0 at one of its ends to the reartop part of the draw-head D, while its other end presses upon the top oflip B, holding it normally in place, but yielding sufficiently to allowthe lip to be raised.

- The coupling-hooks A A are secured in the side recesses of the head Dby bolts e passing through holes near and back of the center of eachhook-bar, respectively. At the rear end of the hook-bars a coiled springf is intervposed between them, pressing the ends apart so that, thehook-bars being pivoted near theirV center, their opposite endsconsequently are normally held toward each other. Shoulders j areprovided at forward end of recesses, against which the end of hook-barscome in contact when under the strain of pulling, instead of strainingthe pivot-bolts e, thus obviating the danger of bending the bolts.

The couplingbar has at each end an arrowhead forming on the sides thelugs b b', and also a hole 'L' to receive a coupling-pin when it is usedin connection with ya linkandpin draw-head. At each side of the forwardend of draw-head suitable ears fr are attached by means of screw-bolts,and to these the uncoupling-levers p are attached by means of the loosepins S. The upper ends of levers p are connected by rods t, which extendto each side of a car, respectively, so that a car may be uncoupled fromanother from either side of the track without requiring a man to gobetween the cars. The uncoupling-pin n having the yoke m rests upon thelower ends of the two levers p and is in a normal position when down, asshown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In practical operation the draw-head D, having the usual shank at itsrear, is secured to one end of a car in the usual manner. Thecoupling-bar C enters the mouth d. The point c comes in contact with thebeveled points of hooks a a' and forces them apart, as shown at a', Fig.3, and when the point b has passed the point a the hooks close togetherand engage the lugs Z2 b, performing the act of coupling, the end cbeing held in the draw-head of an adjacent car. lTo uncouple the twocars, one of the rods tis drawn IOO toward the side of car, which actionforces upward the pin n against the under side of bar C, which in turnraises the upper movable lip l, permitting the lugs on side ,of bar C torise above the hooks u cb', when the bar G may be Withdrawn by theopposing car or by hand, if desired, thus completing the act ofuncoupling.

Having; described my invention, what I claim as being' new and novel,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

ll. In a car-coupling the combination of the ccmplingdiooks A, A withthe pivotpins e, e and coiled spring f; the movable lip or top l5 withpivot-pin h; the spring g; the lugs ff', r; the levers p, p o'i'bell-crank forni having pivotal pins S, S; the uncoupling-pin n havin gthe yoke Im, and the coupling-bar C having pin-holes -i substantially asand for the purpose shown and described.

f2. The combination, in a car-coupling, of the ci'iuplng-hooks A, A,having` the shoulder at forward end bearing at j; the hooks CL a', theshoulder j in the side opening of draw-head D; the arrow-headconplingbar C having the pin-hole 1', i', the hinged top B of dranhead;the spring f; the nnconpling-pin n having the yoke m; the levers p, 19,and the ings fr fr, substantially as and for the purpose shown anddescribed.

3. In a car-coupling,having conplin g-hooks, the combination of theshoulder j in recess or' head; the shoulder at end of hook-bar cen"-forining to shoulder-j in head; the hinged top B of draw-head; thespring; g; the uncoupling-pin n having the yoke m, and the levers p, pattached to lugs r, o', substantially as and for the purpose shown anddescribed.

In testi lnony whereof I afix my signature in presence oi' twowitnesses.

MAII'LON TELESE Titucssesz J. E. SPoFFoRD, XV. P. GANFIELD.

